Appetizer Ideas

As we get into holiday season planning, I thought we’d share some simple ideas for presenting appetizers. 

• Allow cheese balls, dips and spreads that contain cream cheese or other cheese to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so for better flavor and spreadability.
• Garnish your appetizer platters with sprigs of fresh herbs, lemon wedges, small clusters of grapes, or small whole pickles.
• Think about strips of colorful sweet peppers, radishes, cherry tomatoes, and fresh sugar snap peas as dippers, besides the usual celery, carrot sticks and crackers.
• Place your dips in edible bowls made from red or green cabbage shells, or cored colorful sweet peppers.  Fruit dips can be served in melon or grapefruit or orange shells.
• Pot luck appetizers should be able to be served cold or at room temperature.
• Save the hot appetizers for serving from your own kitchen.

Take a hint from experienced hostesses, and keep your appetizers to a small selection – maybe one or two items, if you are serving a meal too.  Easier on you, and your guests will have enough room to eat your meal.  I also suggest not refilling appetizer trays when you are serving a meal – call folks to the table instead.  Don’t let appetizer time last too long before serving the meal.

Our photo recipes above (clockwise):
Holiday Cheese Ball
Individual Cheese Pies
Crunchy Potato Bites
Cream Onion Dip